ALRC tells government
how to do
Commissions
on the cheap
Australia looks likely to get a new form of major investigation - the Official Inquiry - as a second tier to the existing Royal Commission system, after the Australian Law Reform Commission table its report No 111, 'Making Inquiries'. The ALRC has made other recommendations that would make the inquiry process more open, and oblige the government to respond in a timely manner to inquiry recommendations.
Assault on
liberties
long, laboured
Round-robins of 'tough on crime' legislation go from state to state, nation to nation. Here, noted Manchester QC Mark George analyses the cumulative effect of years of repressive laws in the UK, which have whittled away the traditional protections of the 'rule of law'. Other Observer newspaper commentators take the debate further.
Read more »...SA's 'stand-out' AG strikes again
Updated: Michael Atkinson, the South Australian Attorney General noted for quaint ways, is at it again: a new law means you must attach your name/details to any letter or blog comment once the March 2010 SA election is formally called, which is expected imminently. The SA pollies can accept anonymous donations...but citizens can't make anonymous comments on the pollies' performance.
Atkinson backflip: when's the election?
Wed 3 Feb 2010 A-G Atkinson did a backflip
CCTV is 'legally blind' - academic
An Australian computer scientist has declared CCTV camera systems meet the definition of being 'legally blind' when it comes to precise identification of criminals. Billions of dollars have been spent worldwide on systems that should come with a sign showing a white cane and dark sunglasses attached.
Prisons in Victoria, 2010
How well are Australia's prisons serving the community? One major Royal Commission recommendation was that the community constantly keep watch on what is happening in prisons. Here, CLA's Keith McEwan does just that, for the Victorian prison system.
Call for eAGM Motions
A formal call for Notice of Motion(s) has been made for this year's eAGM. Details of this year's eAGM follow.
Read more »...Feb 10 Newsletter - War Powers,
Veto emerge as election issues
Is the way Australia decides to go to war appropriate for a democratic nation? What about formal reporting to the people on war progress, and parliament controlling the purse strings? These major questions will get more prominence in the lead-up to the expected 2010 federal election. Also on the agenda - as CLA prepares for its 2010 electronic AGM - will be the inequitable system where Australians living in the Territories can have their democratically-passed laws overturned just because a Prime Minister doesn't like one clause in them.
CLA electronic AGM 2010
Civil Liberties Australia is holding its electronic annual general meeting (eAGM) process between 1 February and 10 April 2010.
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